Surgical instruments employing RF energy for treatment are used in a variety of surgical procedures. Such instruments generally include an RF probe that delivers RF energy to the part of the body to be affected by the electrosurgical procedure.
Present RF probes are typically either mono-polar or bi-polar probes. Mono-polar probes have a single RF electrode. The RF energy of the mono-polar probe passes from the RF electrode through the area to be treated and then returns through a return electrode attached to the body, often a foot or more away. Bipolar probes include two terminals, an active electrode and a return electrode, which are both positioned within the patient at the area to be treated.